John Robert Evans Explained

Order:9th
Office:President of the University of Toronto
Term Start:1972
Term End:1978
Predecessor:Claude Bissell
Successor:James Milton Ham
Birth Date:1 October 1929
Birth Place:Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Death Place:Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Alma Mater:University of Toronto
University of Oxford
Spouse:Gay Glassco

John Robert Evans (1 October 1929 – 13 February 2015) was a Canadian cardiologist, academic, businessperson, and civic leader.

He was the founding dean of the McMaster University Medical School and then vice-president of Health Services at McMaster University from 1965 to 1972. From 1972 to 1978 he was President of the University of Toronto. From 1979 to 1983, he served as founding Director of the Population, Health and Nutrition Department of the World Bank in Washington, DC.

Evans was a key player in the sale of the Canadian Connaught Laboratories to the French Sanofi-Aventis.

He was elected as the ninth Chairman of the Rockefeller Foundation, a position that he held from 1987 to 1995. Evans was the first Canadian to hold the position.[1]

He was chairman of Allelix Biopharmaceuticals Inc., Torstar Corporation, Alcan Aluminum Ltd. (1995–2002), the Canada Foundation for Innovation and the Walter and Duncan Gordon Charitable Foundation. He was the chairman of and helped create the MaRS Discovery District in Toronto. He died at the age of 85 from Parkinson's disease in 2015.[2]

Early life and education

Evans was born in Toronto, and was the youngest of seven children. His parents were Mary and William Watson Evans. Evans was orphaned at the age of nine and was subsequently raised by his older siblings.[3] He went to the University of Toronto Schools for high school, and after graduating from UTS, studied medicine at the University of Toronto (U of T). He was a varsity football player at U of T and would later become a member of U of T's Sports Hall of Fame.[4] He received his medical degree from the University of Toronto in 1952 and was a Rhodes Scholar at University College, Oxford. He received his Doctoral degree specializing in internal medicine and cardiology at Oxford University in 1955.

Academic career

Evans was a research fellow at Harvard Medical School from 1960 to 1961, he then returned to Toronto as an associate professor at U of T's faculty of medicine. He also worked as a cardiologist at Toronto General Hospital during this period, apparently the only time that he practised medicine.[5]

At the relatively young age of 35, Evans was selected as the founding Dean of McMaster University's new Medical School.

Politics

In a 1978 federal by-election, Evans ran for a seat in the House of Commons as a Liberal in the Toronto riding of Rosedale, but was defeated by former Toronto Mayor David Crombie.[6]

Honours and awards

Honorary degrees

Evans received 15 Honorary Doctorates, including:

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Chairman and Trustees Elected at Rockefeller. 16 March 2015. New York Times. 20 June 1987 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150316005226/http://www.nytimes.com/1987/06/20/nyregion/chairman-and-trustees-elected-at-rockefeller.html. 16 March 2015.
  2. News: John Evans co-founded Mac school of medicine. The Hamilton Spectator. 17 February 2015.
  3. News: McMahon. Tamsin. MaRS Discovery District founder Dr. John Evans dies at 85. The Globe and Mail . live . 6 November 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160304230629/http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/mars-discovery-district-founder-dr-john-evans-dies-at-85/article23002737/ . 4 March 2016 . 13 February 2015.
  4. News: Oved. Marco Chown. John Evans, founder of MaRS, dead at 85. live . 6 November 2016 . The Toronto Star. 13 February 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150214115620/http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2015/02/13/obituary-john-evans-was-innovative-doctor-educator-and-businessman.html . 14 February 2015.
  5. News: Stoffman . Judy . A humble man of many talents, John Evans reinvented medical education . live . 7 November 2016 . The Globe and Mail . 6 March 2015 . https://archive.today/20150405171517/http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/a-humble-man-of-many-talents-john-evans-reinvented-medical-education/article23349905/ . 5 April 2015 . dmy .
  6. Web site: History of Federal Ridings since 1867. Parliament of Canada. 16 March 2015.
  7. Web site: Laureates - Dr. John R. Evans. Friends of Canadian Institutes of Health Research. 17 March 2015.
  8. Web site: John R. Evans. Gairdner Foundation. 17 March 2015.
  9. Web site: In Memoriam: Dr John Evans (1953), Honorary Fellow . University College, Oxford . dead . 7 November 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150223162023/http://univ.ox.ac.uk/univ-news/memoriam-dr-john-evans-1953-honorary-fellow . 23 February 2015 . dmy-all .
  10. News: U of T's Evans, retired Forces chief head list of Order of Canada names. The Globe and Mail. 14 January 1978. Ottawa. 12.
  11. Web site: McMaster University Honorary Degree Recipients (Chronological) . live . 7 November 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150511131229/http://www.mcmaster.ca/univsec/reports_lists/S_HD_Recipients.pdf . 11 May 2015 . 14.
  12. Web site: Honorary Degree Recipients. York University. 18 March 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150318112748/http://secretariat.info.yorku.ca/senate/sub-committee-on-honorary-degrees-and-ceremonials/honorary-degree-recipients/. 18 March 2015.
  13. Web site: Honorary Graduates. Memorial University of Newfoundland. 19 March 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150319112627/http://www.mun.ca/senate/honorary_degrees_by_convocation.pdf. 19 March 2015.
  14. Web site: Honorary Degrees. Queen's University. 18 March 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150318113219/http://www.queensu.ca/secretariat/senate/honorarydegrees/recipients.pdf. 18 March 2015.
  15. Web site: Honorary Degree Recipients . Wilfrid Laurier University . 19 March 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150319113823/http://legacy.wlu.ca/page.php?grp_id=2284&p=9466 . 19 March 2015.
  16. Web site: Yale Honorary Degree Recipients . Yale University . dead . 7 November 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150521015848/http://ris-systech2.its.yale.edu/hondegrees/hondegrees.asp . 21 May 2015.
  17. Web site: JHU Honorary Degrees Awarded . Johns Hopkins University . live . 7 November 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20141231081949/http://web.jhu.edu/commencement/honorees/alpha.html . 31 December 2014.
  18. Web site: Honorary Degree Recipients 1850 - 2014 . University of Toronto . 19 March 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140828094921/http://www.governingcouncil.utoronto.ca/Assets/Governing%2BCouncil%2BDigital%2BAssets/Boards%2Band%2BCommittees/Committee%2Bfor%2BHonorary%2BDegrees/degreerecipients1850tillnow.pdf . 28 August 2014 . 20 . dead .
  19. Web site: Honorary Degrees . Maastricht University . 19 March 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150319102942/http://www.maastrichtuniversity.nl/web/show/id%3D6521990/langid%3D42 . 19 March 2015 . dead .
  20. Web site: Honorary Degree Recipients by Last Name . University of Calgary . dead . 7 November 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150223160943/http://www.ucalgary.ca/senate/files/senate/hd-recipients-by-last-name-2014-sept.pdf . 23 February 2015.
  21. Web site: Honorary degree recipients for President's Install . University of Alberta . live . 7 November 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140930210540/http://www.ualbertacentennial.ca/cgi-bin/feature_articles/display_feat_article.php?article_id=768 . 30 September 2014.
  22. Web site: Harding . Frances . Convocation 2009 . dead . 7 November 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110827084545/http://agora.lakeheadu.ca/agora.php?st=321 . 27 August 2011.

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